28 people died, 160 people were hospitalized in India due to drinking bootleg alcohol

(Baonghean.vn) - According to Indian officials, yesterday, January 13, a batch of illegal bad alcohol took the lives of more than 28 people, and caused 160 people to be hospitalized in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

Many of the victims had gathered to watch a cricket match on Sunday evening in Datli village, about 30km southwest of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state, said Anil Garg, an Indian government official.

Indian women mourn around the bodies of two men who died from drinking bootleg alcohol in Datli village, about 30 km (about 20 miles) southwest of Lucknow, India.

By mid-day yesterday, November 13, 28 people had died, including 11 from a nearby village, according to police officer Mukul Goel.

According to medical staff, most of the victims were hospitalized in critical condition, requiring the help of respiratory masks, and some victims were even blind.

Police have arrested the owner of the shop selling bags of homemade alcohol for 30 cents. Police also discovered a large container of toxic chemicals at the shop. Samples of the chemicals have been sent to a laboratory for testing and investigation.

Dr Kausar Usman, head of trauma department at King George Medical University (Lucknow), said: “The symptoms clearly indicate that the victims had consumed Methyl Alcohol (Methanol), which is mixed with ethyl alcohol to make the drink cheaper though highly toxic.

Deaths from drinking illegally brewed alcohol are common in India as most poor people cannot afford to buy licensed bottles of alcohol.

Rajesh Kumar, a villager whose two brothers were hospitalised, said shops in Datli village were known for selling cheap alcohol, and that many men came from surrounding villages to buy bottles of it.

The state's top elected official, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, has suspended six police officers for allegedly accepting bribes and ignoring complaints about illegal liquor shops. He has also announced a campaign against the sale of illicit liquor.

Truong Huu Quy– According to Associated Press